Is Ann Widdecombe right about females age of reirement?

I have a problem with Anne Widdecombe's language - entitled? Those who have worked all their lives, have paid taxes and NI, so they are not getting something for nothing. I receive a pension (at last - I am WASPI) and I work for myself so am still paying tax. I don't think it is enough to say everyone is living longer - medical care has improved so many older folk are alive who would have died years ago. This doesn't mean they are fighting fit to work. It is time to bring in Basic Income for all to put an end to this nonsense.

I remember way way back, saying I’d prefer to go on a one way ticket to Switzerland when I reached 70, thinking that was a good age to go. I’ve cancelled that ticket now, still lots of life in this old girl x

I consider myself fortunate, I choose to continue to work, but it’s a family business, so I have a certain amount of flexibility, that’s not to say that I don’t work hard, rarely leave on time, and never take my full holiday entitlement, but I’m happy in my work, and get on well with my colleagues, feel really sad about some of your stories

As some of you have already mentioned life expectancy has actually started to drop again recently. It is the people who were able to retire earlier who are living longer. Yes you should be able to carry on working as long as you like if you really want to but not everyone feels fit and healthy enough to carry on working in their sixties. Those who can manage it are lucky. I always think it would be better to let people retire earlier and get those youngsters who have no jobs, into work. In other countries the elderly are treated much better than they are here.

I started work at 16, I was expecting to receive a pension at 65 of which I become 65 in October but unfortunately I will not qualify until I am 66 1/2. My Husband who has just turned 65 has to wait until November to receive his pension. I feel that it is people of our age or similar that have worked for 50 years or more seem to be the ones losing out on being able to qualify for our pensions.

People my age left school at 15 yo and worked until 60yo so 45 years paying into the system. Perhaps this should be taken into consideration by youngsters that moan when lots of them are in full time education for a lot longer. I agree with an equal retirement age for both men and women though and I do count myself lucky to have received both an OP and the OAP at the same age.

I know that we are trying to be equal with men and it has to work both ways, but how can you just wipe out the years when we were treated unequally.
I had 6 years added on to my retirement age, which I feel is an awfully large increase.
I was unable to build up much of a private pension because family care meant I had to work in term time and part time jobs around my responsibilities.
My ex husband left me when my daughters were 9 & 12 and took his large pension with him (he retired at 55)
I am now nearly 63 and trying to sell my guest house (at a massive loss) as I can no longer cope with the physical and mental stress of the business. Somehow I will have to manage on the proceeds until my new retirement age. At least I have my husband to help me, but it will be a struggle. Other WASPI woman I know are in dreadful situations.
Ann Widdicombe is an over privileged wind bag who has no idea how ordinary people live.

Ms Widdecombe went to far as to change religions from C of E to RC (a mysoginists glee club if ever there was) because she is aggressively opposed to women priests!

So her stance on womens pensions/retirement is no surprise - she truly hates women........

(Incidentally, most women NEVER retire.)

Yes, and I’ve reported you MaryEliza54 for telling a poster they ‘make you SICK to your stomach’. What a dreadful thing to say whether you agree with them or not.

Back in the day I quite liked Ms Widdecombe! Can’t understand why now!
Margs is correct, we will never really retire!

the retirement age of men should have been brought down to 60.This is one of the richest countries in the world the average worker pays in a ton of money to the state, some die before their retirement.never draw a penny Ask how much money goes to the rich in their tax dodges,offshore funds etc etc how much goes abroad? the 1% rich and growing smaller are laughing at our expense.Im only touching the tip of the iceberg with my comments, read Noam Chomsky on the' way the world works,' eyeopening………..

Ill informed posts aimed at immigrants/ asylum seekers make me sick to my stomach - report away. I’m
not the one encouraging racial hatred based on LIES

Oh I have reported it maryeliza54 and they have removed it. You have a perfect right to your options but not a right to be rude on a public forum.

69 and love my teaching job but next year I am being forced - because of county's laws - to retire which I am not looking forward to!

I tend to agree with Anne Widdecombe's comment.

The thing to remember is that we are only talking about the State pension here, which is only intended to be a top up to pensions or other sources of income which we should all be providing for ourselves.

Yes, the State pension is a useful addition but should never be our sole source of income.

After all we have had years and years of work from when we were young to think about how we will fund our retirement, whether that would be from a private pension, or, from other means such as for instance investing in property which we did.

If Ann Widdecombe wants to see a 'self-indulgent and entitled' woman, she just needs to look in the mirror. Her arrogance is beyond belief!

jennifereccles The thing to remember is that we are only talking about the State pension here, which is only intended to be a top up to pensions or other sources of income which we should all be providing for ourselves
What if you spent your working life in low-paid jobs that barely allowed you to feed your family, let alone save for a pension?

I don’t think anyone has the right to LIE on a public forum either - asylum seekers and immigrants do NOT get off planes/ boats etc and just get benefits. That is a LIE. Most go straight into jobs we need to be done. Others deserve our compassion as they flee from war and conflict

May I say, as someone still working beyond my SP age, that I object to earlier posters implying that, in so doing, I am blocking a job which could have gone to a younger person:

a. My job could not be filled by a younger person, I have decades of experience in my area of work

b. I am still paying off my mortgage and need the additional income to meet the payments

I agree with Jennifereccles, hard to save for a pension with so many demands on a young couples income, especially if they’re on low wages, rightly or wrongly, we all tend to put it off!

Sorry, misread that! Actually agree with jeanainsworth,

Exactly janea well said !

The new workplace pension worries me. It is increasing year on year (currently 5% employee and 3% employer contributions) and is a real struggle for many to pay into. I wonder what (if anything) anyone will actually get back ? I also wonder how much the pension companies cream off to pay for their own staff, shareholders and fancy buildings? With pension ages rising all the time the youngsters paying in will not enjoy many years of retirement

jennifereccles
You obviously live in that same rarified world that our politicians inhabit.

I've got to say I was 60 in December 2012 and I did receive a letter back in 1996 after the original changes telling me I would not get a pension until September 2015. That was nearly 20 years notice, so time to make provision for this change. However what isn't fair are the changes made in 2011 which did not give ladies much notice and affected a lot of people already affected by first change. This new change didn't affect me but has affected friends just 4 or 5 months younger than me, and I feel they were badly treated.

People still get old and tired at the same point in life. Lifespan has nothing to do with it. She has no idea. I don't like her. (that is the polite version)